Forecasting the Olympics

Beijing Invests Big
In Weather Computer;
Can Rain Be Moved?

By

Mei Fong

Updated Aug. 17, 2007 12:01 a.m. ET

BEIJING -- The Chinese capital's weather bureau has bought a supercomputer from International Business Machines Corp. to help forecast rain and pollution during next year's Olympics, another sign of China's elaborate preparations for an event seen as the nation's coming-out party.

The supercomputer, an IBM System p575, carries a price tag of "several million dollars," according to IBM officials. It will run China's most...